1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a sun visor for interior use in a vehicle, and more particularly relates to a sun visor, having a visor body that includes a vanity having a light emitting diode (LED) to provide light therefore.
2. Description of Related Art
Sun visors are well known and widely used in the prior art. Many different types and designs have been successfully employed in vehicles over the years. Many of these prior art visors have been developed in a variety of ways through which visor bodies and other interior components may be constructed and mounted within a vehicle. Advances in design may often add complexities to the manufacturing processes for interior components. There has been and continues to be a premium in the automotive industry on cost savings, weight reduction, and improvements in the efficiency and speed in the manufacturing processes for such components therein. One area of particular focus in the automobile technology field has been reducing the number and the complexity of steps required to assemble interior components such as sun visors or visors for use in a vehicle.
Generally, in the prior art, manufacturing simplicity continues to drive innovations in the automotive industry, loss of quality and performance in manufactured interior components for the sake of facilitating production is seldom, if ever acceptable. There is a substantial body of prior art relating to the specific structure of the visor to provide a strong, lightweight construction that matches or compliments the vehicle interior trim in a cost effective manner. Of particular interest has been the “clamshell” type construction, which involves the molding of two shell pieces or clamshell halves, which are joined to form the visor. In one typical clamshell design, the visor halves are formed as a single piece attached along a longitudinal edge, and then folded to form the visor body. The exterior surface can be molded to provide a suitable visor surface, or a desired outer covering may be added in a variety of ways known in the prior art.
The clamshell design allows the visor body to be constructed relatively quickly and easily, however, the various components that are attached to the visor clamshell halves must in some cases be incorporated with several assembly steps prior to securing the clamshell halves together. For example, several known designs require insertion of additional mounting or journaling pieces for retention of the visor pivot rod within the visor body. The construction of visors having such a design is relatively time-intensive. Moreover, the various slides, journals, retainers, etc., utilized in the construction may add significant expense and weight to the overall visor, along with unwanted noise, and increase the number of components necessary to build one therein. Many of these prior art visors use standard light bulbs, such as incandescent bulbs to provide light for either a vanity which includes a mirror arranged within the visor, or for a map light that is sometimes arranged within the visor. The use of the incandescent bulb draws more current and power than that of newer technologies, such as a LED bulb.
In come cases, eliminating parts may reduce the expense of manufacturing and constructing the visor. Decreasing size and weight, however, can be accompanied by decreases in strength. Furthermore, the visors that attempt to change well accepted technology, like incandescent light bulbs with new technology, such as a LED, may run into problems with consumers and users of the vehicle not accepting the look and feel of the light emitted by an LED versus that of a light emitted by an incandescent prior art light bulb. The use of new technology, such as a LED over a prior art light bulb, may increase the efficiency and reduce manufacturing assembly times for visors in the automotive and other vehicular art. Hence, it is desirable in the art to provide a visor that is light weight, easy to manufacture and uses relatively few components, yet utilizes a design imparting significant durability to withstand heavy and repeated use and to provide a solid construction with tight tolerances throughout the entire system. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for an improved visor that has a LED lighted vanity and/or map light arranged therein. There also is a need in the art for a sun visor that uses a variety of methods of aligning a LED with a lens for use in the vanity or a LED used in conjunction with a light guide in a vanity to provide a more even appearance and distribute the light in a more aesthetic pleasing fashion than prior art light bulbs. There also is a need in the art for a vanity that may use one light to light both sides of a vanity mirror through the use of a light guide system arranged therein.